Little Talks
by Lunchbox413
Summary: Kakashi's always believed in the power of words, but when his words fail and Sasuke leaves, he loses faith in their power. It takes an intervention from a very pushy Toad Sage to set him back on the right path and restore his faith. Post-Sasuke's abandonment of Konoha. Slight JiraTsu and KakaSasu (if you squint).


**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. If I did, KakaSasu would be canon and Jiraiya would still be alive.**

**Author's Note: I wrote this while listening to "Little Talks" by Of Monsters and Men. Hence, the title. That said, it is not necessary to listen to the song while reading this because I really only focused on two lines of the song.**

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Sasuke has never been all that great at verbal communication. Kakashi understands this because there was a time, not too long ago, when he used to be the exact same way. For this reason, Kakashi and Sasuke communicate well with each other, though it would not seem that way to anyone else.

Sometimes they like to communicate through sparring, their fists and feet venting frustrations and concerns that otherwise would have no outlet. There's also the times when all it takes is an exchange of glances between the a pairs of dark and mismatched eyes—because they really are far more similar than they'd like to admit.

But then there are those times, those rare moments, when Kakashi simply doesn't know how to get through to the boy. Beating him down, teasing him, and on the extremely rare occasion, physical contact (a ruffle of the hair or a pat on the shoulder) are usually enough...except when they're not. And then, only then, does Kakashi resort to verbal communication.

Sasuke can always tell when these "little talks" are coming. The older shinobi will suggest an all day training session or a private meal together—any excuse to get the boy alone. It's stupid really, because Sasuke (though inclined to deny it) would never say no to a moment alone with the copy-ninja. He detests fighting for the older man's attention when the other members of Team 7 are around.

It usually works. Kakashi's very good with words. Sasuke imagines it's because of all the reading that the older shinobi does, but that's not really it. The truth is that Kakashi highly values the gift of verbal communication and speaks only when his words have worth and have been well thought out. Even his cryptic riddles and sarcastic remarks hold purpose. Talking means nothing if the words have no meaning. People who speak without purpose are foolish and Kakashi has very little patience for fools.

He senses the need for one of these "little talks" right after he breaks up a fight between his two male students on the rooftop of the hospital. The two idiots nearly killed each other (and Sakura) in their ridiculous squabble and despite his defensive contention against Jiraiya's scolding, Kakashi feels slightly responsible for the incident and knows it's time to step in.

Up until this point, Sasuke has always responded well to their talks. Maybe not right away, because he's stubborn and prideful and hates to admit when he's wrong, but this time is different. Kakashi asks him (without really asking him) for a little bit of his time, but Sasuke refuses. The teenage shinobi is too angry and agitated and he's trying to bury himself in those feelings rather than allow them to be quelled by his sensei's smooth words.

So, the Jounin follows his student and waits patiently for the boy to let down his guard, which doesn't take long at all. Sasuke's always been a little careless when he's enraged. And now, as Kakashi looks down at the struggling Uchiha, who's currently tied to a tree, he feels a deep sense of regret and urgency. This talk could _not_ have waited any longer, but he really _should_ have waited.

He says what he needs to say, opening up a little and sharing more about himself than he has with anyone in a very long time. It's worth it if it gets through to the boy, if it makes him stay, if it helps him see through the darkness that's trying to overtake his sight.

It doesn't work. Sasuke leaves the village the next day and with him, he takes Kakashi's lifelong faith in the power of words.

He gives up on words, on speaking, on feeling. It's all been a complete waste and Sasuke's continual disappearance reinforces his failure every single day. He's even glad to pass off his remaining students to other people because his incomplete team throws him off and causes him to make rookie mistakes that he hasn't made since his Genin years. He requests to be put back in ANBU; a desperate attempt to literally distance himself from everything and everyone. He just wants to disappear, to go back to a time where talking and hoping and feeling didn't exist.

Tsunade denies his request, much to his irritation. She says he's too important and that abandoning his current responsibilities is not an option. She also says some things about how vital he is to her team of shinobi, but he's sure she's just trying to flatter him. He's not an idiot. He knows false adulation when he hears it. He tunes her useless words out. She's a fool.

A few days later, he's visited by another fool. He's always respected the old Toad Sage, despite his foolishness. At first it was out of respect for Minato—because if Jiraiya had trained the Fourth Hokage, then he must have some significant skill—but spending some time with the man (and succumbing to an unhealthy addiction to the _Make-Out _series) has helped to enhance that respect. However, the man is still a fool.

Jiraiya falls into step with him as he walks home from the bookstore. They exchange pleasantries; Kakashi using only short single-syllabic words and Jiraiya prattling on about everything and nothing. When they reach the end of the street and turn the corner, the older man stops abruptly. Kakashi stops too and turns to face the Toad Sage, a questioning look on his partially-covered face.

Jiraiya wastes no time, always too hasty to speak. "We need to talk."

The younger man stares blankly at his elder, not really knowing how to respond. A few snide comments run through his mind, but they're quickly erased by a memory of his own voice echoing Jiraiya's exact words and two angry black eyes glaring up at him. He feels so many things all at once, but the twisted irony of the situation overpowers everything else.

He laughs. He can't help it. He just laughs. And it's not a small chuckle. It's a loud sickening noise that only a person half-mad could produce. It's a choking, cryptic laugh and it takes him several minutes to get it under control.

When he finally does, he peeks his one eye open at his teacher's teacher. He expects to see confusion and maybe even anger on the man's face, but there is no trace of either. The Sannin watches him like a person watches their friend going crazy, like he expects the younger man to try to off himself any second and he's preparing to stop it from happening.

"My apologies, Master Jiraiya. That was incredibly rude of me." It's the first full sentence he's said outside of a mission in weeks and he doesn't miss the added irony that it's an apology.

Jiraiya is quiet, unusually quiet, and he just keeps looking at the copy-nin with apprehensive eyes.

Kakashi waits patiently. The older man will not be silent for long, that's guaranteed.

After a moment or two, the Sannin closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. "Look...I know you don't want to hear this, but what happened with Sasuke wasn't your fault."

The younger man nods. "I know," he lies.

"Don't play games with me, Kakashi. I may seem like an idiot on the outside, but I'm no fool. I can tell you're taking his abandonment extremely hard."

Kakashi's a little bit surprised...but only a little.

"I also know that you requested to return to the ANBU."

This doesn't surprise him at all. Kakashi is well aware of The Hokage's strange and complicated relationship with the Toad Sage. Sometimes it appears that everyone else can see it more clearly than the two Sannin can. In fact, their true feelings for each other seems to be the only secret not shared between them.

"My request had nothing to do with Sasuke." Kakashi strings the lie together perfectly, his even-textured voice showing no falsity in his words. He perfected the art of lying a long time ago.

Jiraiya sets his jaw and stares his subordinate down for a long moment, before letting out a loud scoff. "Bullshit."

The copy-ninja blinks, slightly taken aback by the older shinobi's abrupt profanity.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," the Toad Sage smirks. "You may have fooled everyone else with your smooth, lying tongue, but you can't fool me. I can see the pain you're in because I've experienced it too."

This peaks Kakashi's interest, though he only shows it with a slight raising of one eyebrow.

"Don't forget that I lost someone I cared for too. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop him from disappearing into the dark." The Sannin's voice has softened now and his eyes are fixated on something far in the distance as he loses himself in a memory. "He was my best friend and my teammate and I blamed myself every day after he disappeared."

Kakashi watches his elder for a moment, taking in the man's words and trying to apply them to how he's feeling, but it doesn't fit. "You're wrong."

Jiraiya's dark eyes fall back on the silver-haired shinobi, questioning his words.

"You were Orochimaru's friend and his comrade. You were not his teacher. His choice was not your fault. It was the Third Hokage's responsibility to teach and mold him into the shinobi he was meant to be. And it was the Third Hokage's failure that resulted in Orochimaru's outcome." His words awaken the dull ache that's been living in his chest every day since Sasuke's disappearance. It throbs and pulses with his heartbeat, filling the space between his ribs and squeezing his lungs until he's breathing so heavily that his shoulders move with each inhale and exhale.

Jiraiya's expression hardens, but his eyes are still soft. "I don't believe that at all, but I know that there's no way I can convince you that it isn't your fault, so I'm going to tell you what I told the Third..." he pauses, making sure that he has the copy-nin's full attention before continuing. When a frenetic black eye finally falls on him, he continues. "You have to let this go. I know that you know how one mistake can be your undoing...but you're stronger than him. You always have been."

He's not sure how this conversation became about his father, but he's not happy about it. He's never let anyone, besides Minato, talk about his father to him and he's certainly not okay with the foolish Toad Sage bringing it up now. "Don't bring him into this." His voice is low and dangerous, threatening the elder man.

Jiraiya remains unfazed. "I'm sorry, Kakashi. I know this is a dirty move, but this situation calls for drastic measures."

The silver-haired scarecrow is shooting kunai from his eye, but he balls his fists and focuses on evening his breathing before speaking again. Even when he's angry, he's careful not to speak without thinking first.

The Sannin takes this chance to finish his speech. "Regret and guilt are powerful emotions. They'll eat you alive if you let them. But they can also be great assets if you find a way to work through them and learn what you can from them. The question is, are you strong enough to do that? Or will you let them destroy you?"

For once, Kakashi has no words. Even as the Toad Sage turns and heads down the street away from him, he can't think of anything worth saying.

Jiraiya gets about halfway down the street before he turns back around. "Oh! And one more thing...If you give up now, Sasuke's as good as gone, but if you keep fighting...there's a chance that he can be saved. I truly believe that."

It's an odd thing for the Sannin to say, especially because up until this point, he has encouraged Naruto and Sakura to let Sasuke go and forget about saving their lost teammate. But as the Toad Sage gives a genuine smile, Kakashi swears he can see Minato smiling through the older shinobi's eyes for a brief moment and he knows that his sensei has played a role in this little talk somehow.

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**I really like this piece. I had a hard time deciding who would be the perfect person to approach Kakashi and the only person that came to mind was Minato...BUT since Minato is not around, I needed to find someone else. I played around with a few characters and Kakashi just wasn't having it. He's far too stubborn...and then I realized that it had to be Jiraiya because although he's not Minato and he's really nothing like Minato, he was Minato's teacher and he's indirectly played a huge role in Kakashi's life to the point where I knew that Kakashi would feel obligated to at least hear him out. **

**Thanks for reading guys!**


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